Page 44 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Later that evening, Rashid looked at his watch as he paced the terrace.

It was half past eight. Nicole was late.

She was making him wait. He smiled, realizing that, surprisingly, he liked how that made him feel. Maybe she was trying to tell him something. There wouldn't be any other reason to keep him waiting other than to send him some kind of signal. Would there?

She wanted to play games with Rashid. Just like she'd been doing since he'd brought her to the palace.

Once more, that thought made him smile. Tonight promised much. At a minimum, he'd get to enjoy being with Nicole; get a chance to play the grateful host; be able to look across the dinner table and enjoy the sight of this beautiful woman who had made such an impression on him.

It was dark, but the night air was still warm with the remnants of the day's heat. The sky was clear, star-filled, and the moon was bright, casting a silvery light over everything. It couldn't have been more romantic if he'd designed it himself, he thought.

He'd checked with Raina who'd told Rashid that Nicole was taking a little bit of extra time preparing herself for the dinner date.

Because that was what it was.

A date.

Just the like the many other dinner dates he'd had over the years.

He frowned. Who was he kidding? This wasn't anything like the dates he'd had with women back in the city. Nicole was different. This evening promised to be unlike any other night.

All he'd been able to think of during the day was Nicole. Even though they'd spent only a short time together during the morning, it had left a powerful impression on Rashid.

He'd never experienced anything resembling what he'd felt while being with Nicole this past twenty-four hours. Had it only been a day? He knew about the fantasy of instant attraction, but he'd never experienced it himself. He'd always dismissed the idea of instant attraction as something imaginary, a foolishness reserved for the very young.

But, there was no denying what had happened between him and Nicole. It was real.

Every one of his previous relationships had lacked the sharpness of instant desire he felt when he was close to Nicole.

This woman made him feel a fresh, new excitement, a vitality which had been missing from his life for years. She was unique. Most noticeable of all, she triggered long dormant desires, passions around which he'd built an impenetrable, enclosing wall. A wall he'd been sure would never be breached.

Well, he'd been wrong about that.

Nicole had already started to dismantle that wall. Piece by piece. Moment by moment. And Rashid wasn't about to complain. Not for one moment.

Rashid paused at the long table which had been set out on the wide terrace. He lifted a glass of mineral water and drained it. Why did he feel this apprehension? He'd never felt this nervous about a date. Barely restrained desire had unsettled Rashid today. It had almost driven him mad with impatience?

In a way, it had been a relief to give Nicole some space, to keep his distance from her. While she had been making the call to her mother, Rashid had removed himself to another part of the palace. He'd been determined to show Nicole that he had no intention of listening in on the call. He respected Nicole's privacy, especially when it came to her talking with her mother. That was a sacred family right. It demanded honorable conduct from Rashid.

He would have expected the same from Nicole. If he had been in a position to share with his parents. A familiar soft melancholy flickered at his emotions when he thought of them. Of course, that was all in the past for him.

When Nicole had eventually found him after the call, she'd told him some of what she'd said to her mother. He'd hidden any sign of his pleasure when Nicole had told him she'd refused the offer of her mother's help to return home earlier than she and Rashid had agreed.

She'd decided to stay. That made him content for the rest of the afternoon. Calmed him inexplicably.

Now, he was waiting for her.

He'd supervised the staff, ensuring they understood exactly how he wanted the food prepared. He'd instructed them to be sensitive to Nicole's preferences. This was all new to her, and he didn't want anything making her feel the slightest discomfort. And he'd reminded them that, once the meal was over, he and Nicole were to be left completely alone.

Rashid heard the sound of heels on marble. He turned and saw Nicole walking into the room which led out onto the terrace. She looked stunning. Her hair had been tied up in a simple but elegant fashion. She still wore the plain blouse and pants. But she looked gorgeous. She wasn't wearing a lot of makeup, especially around her eyes. But that didn't matter. Nicole had a natural beauty that didn't need anything extra. In fact, Rashid realized he found her beauty even more compelling because she looked so natural.

He suddenly felt overdressed in his sharply pressed white shirt and freshly ironed pants.

Nicole smiled at him as she stepped out onto the terrace. "Sorry I kept you waiting," she said.

"Isn't that a woman's prerogative?"

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